The present invention generally relates to the slicing of food products utilizing a blade having multiple cutting surfaces. More particularly, the invention relates to a particular multiple cutting surface blade and to its use in a procedure which allows industrial-sized sticks of meat and the like to be sliced at high throughput rates without having to utilize high rotational speeds of the cutter blade. The invention is especially well-suited for slicing lean whole muscle meat products which cannot be frozen.
Proteinaceous materials such as luncheon meats, whole muscle meats, cheeses and the like for many years have been processed on an industrial scale whereby large sticks, loaves, chubs and the like are fully processed and packaged at a food processing plant. Typically, a large stick, weighing many pounds, is formed and/or handled in food processing machinery. Machinery of this type, in many applications, includes slicing machines for severing these multi-pound sticks into slices which are then stacked and packaged in order to provide any of a variety of different packaged slice food products which are sold commercially in large quantities.
As with most commercial production operations, an important consideration for cost-effectiveness is to maximize the quantity of finished products which are produced for each processing line. In many food processing lines, slicing can be an operation which determines to a large extent the throughput or poundage of product which is processed by the line. Consequently, at times the throughput of a food processing and packaging line can be determined to a large extent by the speed at which the slicing apparatus performs its function. The typical commercial food processing slicing apparatus is one which incorporates a blade that operates in a rotary manner; consequently, when increased line throughput is desired, one of the adjustments that typically is attempted is to increase the rotational speed or revolutions per minute of the slicing blade present on the food processing line.
Increasing of blade speed cannot be accomplished in an unlimited manner. Properties of the food stick being sliced limit acceptable cutting speeds. Cutting speed limits, of course, vary from food product to food product. For example, with respect to meat sticks, those which are particularly consistent and uniform throughout the stick, such as those that are formed by an emulsion type of process wherein there are no readily discernible domains of lean, fat, meat, muscle, filler, or the like, are more compatible with being sliced at relatively high speeds under customary commercial processing conditions than are other types of food products. Those relatively high speeds typically are not attainable by other meat products which are of the so-called whole muscle variety wherein domains of lean, fat, muscle and the like are readily discernible. One such product is known as whole muscle ham. When products of this latter type are subjected to slicing at the food processing plant, the upper limit of cutting speed, such as revolutions per minute of a rotary blade, is relatively low because of the tendency of these types of products to tear or develop holes or ragged edges or other deformities which are not acceptable for most industrially processed and packaged food products.
It has been proposed, and attempts have been made, to increase the slicing speed upper limit or threshold by lowering the temperature of the stick or the like to be sliced to such an extent that the stick itself either is substantially fully frozen or is subjected to what is known as crust freezing wherein at least the outer portions of the stick or the like are frozen. By this latter approach, it is suggested that the crust freezing holds the edges of the product together more effectively than when the stick or the like is otherwise at typical industrial slicing temperatures, which tend to be in the vicinity of, but above, the temperature at which the stick will be crust frozen. one of the disadvantages of using the freezing or crust freezing approach is that the finished, packaged product might not be as acceptable as a packaged product which has not been subjected to freezing. For example, when frozen or crust frozen slices thaw, moisture tends to be drawn out of the product. If this moisture drawing continues after packaging or even if the slices are merely too moist when packaged, so-called purging occurs within the package, and the packaged product will exhibit undesirable properties including the appearance of fluids within the sealed package.
Accordingly, there is a need for an arrangement whereby industrial scale sticks or the like of food product, particularly meat sticks, can be handled in a manner which increases throughput of a given line through means other than increasing the rotational speed of the slicer blade. It is also desirable that this procedure also improve product quality such as by having the slicing blade run at speeds which will not damage the stick or slices and which is accomplished without resorting to other manipulations, such as crust freezing procedures and the like.
In summary, the present invention avoids the need to increase blade speed of a rotary cutting blade by providing a blade having multiple cutting surfaces which are spaced from each other. This feature is combined with feeding of the stick of food product during blade rotation and into the space between the cutting surfaces, with the result that, for each revolution of the rotary blade assembly, a number of slices are prepared which correspond to the number of spaced blade surfaces present on the blade assembly. For example, when two generally radially spaced cutting surfaces are included on the blade assembly, two slices will be cut from the stick during each revolution of the blade assembly.
It is accordingly a general object of the present invention to provide an improved slicing apparatus and method for increasing throughput while maintaining or enhancing slice quality.
Another object of this invention is to provide an improved slicing apparatus and method which are particularly suitable for slicing whole muscle meat products at enhanced throughput speeds.
These and other objects, features and advantages of the present invention will be clearly understood through a consideration of the following detailed description.